Don’t go through life forgetting to actually stop and enjoy the experience. Use these proven strategies to begin to enjoy your life and your time with yourself and others.

Just say no. You can be choosy about what you’ll spend your time on. Accept the fact that you can’t (and don’t have to) do everything.

Prioritize. So what if you’re a clean freak—what’s your priority? A kitchen floor to eat off of, or time with the kids? Set your priorities and learn to let everything else go, at least as much as possible. (Clean kitchens are healthy kitchens.)

Organize. This is a biggie—you may think you know where everything is right now because everything is on your desk, but you’re wasting precious time looking through the piles. Sort and toss as soon as items arrive; file those to save, and keep your life neatly filed on a big wall calendar. Saying no becomes easier when you see you’ve already made other commitments on that day.

Share responsibilities. If friends and family volunteer to help, accept it and don’t feel guilty. Sharing tasks benefits everyone; you can all get to the things you love sooner. >

Take time for yourself. I discovered this necessity when I was caring for older relatives. Taking a walk first thing in the morning helped me to focus on my day; I returned home feeling great because I started the day doing something good for me.